Company description

Rachel’s Table of Western Massachusetts (RTWM) is a grassroots, volunteer-powered nonprofit that alleviates hunger while advancing community-led solutions to food insecurity. Rooted in Jewish values and shaped by intercultural partnerships, RTWM operates across Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin Counties through four core programs—Rescue, Purchase, Glean, and Grow—and an intergenerational volunteer base of over 350 people, including a Teen Board cultivating youth leadership in food access. We partner with 70+ agencies and community networks to fill critical gaps in local food access. We address immediate hunger crises as well as strive for long-term solutions through redistributing surplus food, engaging local farms, and supporting food-insecure communities to grow and harvest their own food.

Job description

YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR (YC)
Structure: Part-Time (Hourly, 5-6 hrs/week) – employee or contractor possible
Location: Hybrid and meetings on site (Springfield, MA + program sites)
Pay range: $20-$23/hr
Reports to: Executive Director

See also: Growing Gardens Coordinator and Visual Design, Marketing & Communications Coordinator. You are welcome to apply for more than one position. We will be glad to consider a combined position for the right person. Please view at https://feedwma.org/join-our-team/

JOB OVERVIEW
Youth are essential to RTWM’s mission and operations. The Youth and Young Adult Engagement Coordinator (YC) is a new role that builds on our previous Teen Board Coordinator position to support and expand youth involvement across RTWM programs. The YC will work directly with teens and young adults to foster leadership, education, and service rooted in Jewish and intercultural/interfaith values. This role includes coordinating the RTWM Teen Board, supporting youth participation in land-based programs, and integrating youth perspectives across the organization’s work.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
Youth and Young Adult Leadership & Engagement Overall

• Support youth and young adult engagement across all four of RTWM’s programs – Rescue, Purchase, Glean, Grow
• Facilitate youth-friendly farm gleans, including leading interfaith groups and helping implement land-based education curricula
• Cultivate a respectful, inclusive space for youth of all backgrounds to explore food justice and community service
• Integrate youth voices and visions into organizational governance and strategic planning

Teen Board Coordination – Focus
The Teen Board is a group of primarily local high school students committed to advancing food justice and food security in Western Massachusetts. Through education, service, advocacy, and fundraising, Teen Board members work to support hunger relief. They volunteer with local agencies, organize awareness campaigns and events, and promote policies to help end hunger. To successfully work with the diversity of Teen Board participants, it is important that the YC understands food justice within the context of Jewish agricultural values and how those values connect within a wider religious and humanistic landscape.

• Recruit, onboard, and mentor Teen Board officers and members (primarily high school students)
• Plan monthly meetings and activities and co-develop leadership trainings and service opportunities with teen leaders
• Help teen leaders organize and promote key events like Outrun Hunger and Hunger Awareness ArtsFest
• Guide teens in understanding hunger through Jewish and intercultural values, educational tools, and advocacy
• Communicate regularly with family members, caregivers, and school/community partners to maintain engagement
• Research and acquire all materials needed for programs that go beyond officers’ abilities/responsibilities

Program Support & Administration

• Create and maintain registration forms, event logistics, materials, and communications
• Collaborate on grant writing, evaluation, and reporting related to youth programming
• Ensure all events and activities align with RTWM’s mission, values, and safety protocols

QUALIFICATIONS
Required:
- Experience working with youth and young adults (formal or informal education, youth groups, outdoor learning, etc.)
- Excellent communication and organizational skills
- Comfort leading groups outdoors and facilitating meaningful conversations with young people
- Skill in networking and program development
- Ability to or desire to learn to represent and teach Jewish values within a pluralistic, welcoming environment
- Familiarity with Google Drive, Microsoft Office, and social media
- Associate's degree or equivalent lived/professional experience

Preferred:
- Knowledge of food systems, food justice, or hunger relief
- Experience with farming, gardening, or environmental education
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent lived/professional experience

WORK ENVIRONMENT & LOGISTICS
- 5-6 hours/week, hourly
- Hybrid position: mix of remote admin and in-person programming
- Must be available for some evening/weekend events and seasonal farm gleaning sessions

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline